Shapeoko 3XXL Enclosure

Just finished my enclosure finally! Thanks to this community i got the idea and some lessons learned so wanted to share and say thanks!





Please excuse the mess, was still pushing out items while building!

13 Likes

Yeah!! Looking great :+1:

  • enough room in the front to accomodate the dust shoe: check
  • hinged side panels for easy maintenance access: check
  • overhead lighting: check
  • tall enough to not bump your head: check
  • a fan for hot air extraction in the lower section: check
  • simple flexible mean to support the dust hose: check

Well it ticks every box in my list! great job

3 Likes

Thanks Jon and Julien,

I tried to hit everything even put an inlet fan and exhaust on bottom side for extraction as well as an exhaust fan in top in the back for the top section so far seems to work well and my wife is happy due to the dust is even more confined hahaha.

2 Likes

This list! I wish I’d seen this before I started. Fortunately T-track framing is great to work with and make changes on the fly.

I love the bungee dust hose support. I thought of bungee hanging from the center, but like this one better.

  • Back opens to accomodate longer tiled jobs (Opt.)

Also appreciate the list. I have mine designed, but not built yet, so changes are easy now. :slight_smile:

@Tod1d absolutely I thought the same about centered bungee but this works better for me, also I did have the back on hinges as well for 360 degree access as well as on the bottom in the back i have another door like the front that i can access the bottom side as well as remove the shopvac if needed.

Hi. Do you get a lot of jiggle from being on casters?

Mine is on a movable base. It jiggles sometimes when in use but the entire pice moves as a unit. If anything, this probably reduces some of the physical stresses imposed during machining.

@johnwcahill I have not noticed any movement while the machine is running, i will say i do ensure that the wheels are locked in place, prior to running. I have locking casters on opposite corners (1 in the front, 1 in the back)

good to know. I am shopping now for my first CNC and am already considering my design for support and possible enclosure. I wear ear pros while in the shop already when I run the saw, planer, jointer, dust collection… But otherwise not. The idea of having the CNC cutting stuff while I am assembling makes me think an enclosure to try and subdue some sound would be good, and mobile would be very nice option.

Thanks
JC

Looks great.

If you are running the vac underneath make sure to directly port the exhaust out of the cabinet with a hose and use a exhaust extraction fan to remove the rest of the heat. Shop vacs heat up fast in confined spaces.

1 Like

Some things to think about here. Shapeoko CNC Assembly w/table - YouTube

1 Like

I used computer fans (an inlet and outlet) on the plbottom of the enclosure and havent noticed the shop vac get too hit but again i dont run the shop vac continuously i utilize the 30 min on 30 min off. Also @johnwcahill i noticed about a 15 to 20 db difference with the enclosure. Also I work out of a 2 car garage, and it significantly reduces the dust throughout!

Thanks @TonyMurray, I gather a few different designs and worked on my own Sunday afternoon. I have most of the ply I need to build, just need some more. Never enough wood or ply!

Good to know about he dB difference, I could use my Oneida Supercell but that seems like overkill so I will likely either repurpose my dust vac with cyclone separator or come up with something else… I suspect even a Festool CT15 would likely not like running for extended periods or enclosed.

I’m in a garage shop as well and I try very hard to keep my dust under control as I have a mini split HVAC I installed last year, makes a huge difference in enjoying shop time!.

1 Like

No need to spend a ton of money, but do not fret over spending some on the project. That is, after all, what money is for.